Country Boy
by syxstyx
Summary: Sequel to Flying Home. Dimitri and Rose are hitting it off, their newly started family just ecstatic. And on the other hand, there's the mess that is Adrian Ivashkov. The ex-playboy has to fight through his dark past just to remain on stable ground; stable ground that is shaken up the moment his one night fling shows up at his sister's door in Golden Valley, Montana.
1. Chapter 1

The sun shone through the shaded windows, seeping between the curtains, temporarily blinding the brunette menace. Squinting his deep emerald eyes, he looked down at his clock. The bright blue light blinked back at him. _Nine twenty-seven? Shit!_ He scrambled up, legs tangling in the half discarded sheets, as he came face to face with a petite dark golden blonde cutie. The flash from her camera lit up the room and caused everything in his line of sight to turn bright white before settling into a hazy purple. Scrubbing away the bruising color from his eyes with the back of his hand, Adrian tumbled out of bed and hobbled towards the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Adrian runs his fingers through his disheveled hair. Opposite him was his doppelganger. It had Adrian's green eyes and messy brown hair. It held all of the same qualities that Adrian possessed; however, his doppelganger looked relieved. He looked as relieved as Adrian had felt. Both Adrians grinned widely and shook their heads as they both reached for the toothbrush.

Padding out into the hallway, towards the kitchen, Adrian yawned lazily and picked at the collar of his white tee. The sun seemed to be streaming through every window that morning, brightening the house up instantly.

In the kitchen, Adrian caught his family. Rose and Oksana, with their hair tied up, giggled over pans of pancakes and eggs. The smiles adorning their faces were very real and not forced, not like they once were. At the table sat Sonya and Mark. Both of them chattered happily, talking about when they knew Dimitri was the one for her. Dimitri was the one for her, and he had almost chased him out of her life for good. Dimitri, the target of their conversation, sat by his lonesome on the couch. He smiled over his phone, and every once in a while replying back in a foreign language; _Russian?_

"Hey grumpy gills! Park it next to the oldies would ya?" He glanced up to see Rose placing plates onto the table in front of Sonya. Sonya picked up an egg and flung it at Rose who caught it in her mouth. "Sit! Breakfast is ready to be munched upon!"

They all sat around the table and dug into the pancakes. In the midst of their eating, Sonya and Adrian got into an argument over the sex of the newest addition to the family.

"Obviously that Mazur blood in Rose is going to work towards a boy. We need some cuties in here that aren't flakes; Adrian."

"Nope; I still stand by my earlier call. Rose's kid is going to be an adorable baby girl."

-o.o-

Images flittered past Adrian's shut eyelids. Abe and Janine, Daniella and Nathan. The night Janine had first gotten sick was the last time Adrian had seen her awake. Within months Janine would be confined in a hospital room where Rose would now refuse to leave. Adrian could remember every gory detail of his childhood.

_"Adrian! Dammit! Why don't you ever listen? You know I'm too busy to be dealing with your bullshit right now." 10-year-old Adrian swung down the branch and landed lightly on his feet. He stared back up his favorite tree, the one that overlooked a serene lake, and followed his mother back to Hathaway Ranch._

_Next to his father was a beautiful woman with copper curls and brown eyes. Once those eyes landed on Adrian, she crouched down and smiled._

_"Well hello there Adrian. Why don't you come inside and get a cookie? I just baked them." Her eyes were so much more loving than his green eyed mother._

_"Adrian, you can trust Janine. She's going to be your friend too." Beside him, Daniella grew visibly angrier. As Adrian stepped towards Janine, his mother snatched his wrist and pulled him back._

_"How dare you! Ibrahim, you swore to me-"_

_"I swore nothing. Your mother can attest to that. You bought me for your own purposes, and I refuse to live that way. I'm staying here." Screams of laughter erupted from inside the house as a young girl, much younger than Adrian, burst through the door and fled out before the fussing parents._

_"Mama! Auntie Sonya and Uncle Mikhail said they were gonna come here today! When will they get here?" Adrian was jealous. Not only did this little girl get love and affection from their father, but also from another family? The only love Adrian saw from Daniella was when she could be bothered to take Adrian home._

Looking up at the pristine sky above him, Adrian felt at peace. He was jealous of the little girl, but as the years passed, he fell in love with her smile and her eyes. She was so different from him in every way. "Adrian? What are you doing up there?" Adrian looked below him to see the little girl all grown up. Rose Hathaway had grown into such a strong and smart young woman, he couldn't help but feel his like he had missed out on such important years when they were younger.

"Nothing, you big dork." He swung down and landed on his feet like so many times before. "What did you want?" His smile took up his face as he watched Rose grin back at him.

"I came to get everybody. Dimitri has good news to tell everyone." Adrian nodded and followed her back to the house. Inside, everyone sat on the couch, eager to hear the news. Dimitri was standing in front of the television, waiting for Rose to join him at the front. His eyes swept over Adrian's as he hooked an arm around Rose's waist and gave a short nod.

The 'Russian Warlord' started off by saying the head of the company had fired Tasha and that his best friend had taken charge of their sector. Christian Ozera, as Dimitri referenced him, was also offering Dimitri back his job, on the condition he work from home and came down if the situation should ever arise. Rose was extremely thrilled to hear that bit of information, mostly because she had already convinced Dimitri to bring her along on those trips. But his good news wasn't entirely over. Apparently, Vasilisa Dragomir was interested in starting a site in Montana, somewhat close to Golden Valley. And because of this, Vasilisa had asked Dimitri to host a photographer to locate where the best destination was.

"So, I'd like you to meet Sydney sage, the new photo journalist. She just transferred from-"

Adrian cut out there because you see, Sydney Sage… she looked pretty damn familiar. Like a _certain drunk night in Vegas_ familiar. Or a _I just woke up to you snapping a picture of me sleeping_ familiar. "You have got to be joking…"

**Author's Note:**

**You've already read the first chapter if you read the last chapter of Flying Home. Thought I'd still put it up though. Thanks for everything guys! You all seemed very eager about this new sequel which is awesome! Thankfully, I'll be putting up both chapter 1 (this one) and chapter 2 so you have something new to read.**

**Just a head's up, it's going to be difficult updating regularly, not that I was much good at it to begin with, but I really am going to make a conscience effort to not abandon everything for months on end. For some reason when I don't know how to continue a story, I let it collect dust until I decide how I want it to go. It's because of this that I don't update on a schedule…**

**Anyways, no more listening to me blah away. Thank you to Jamie, Lesya17, SarahBelikova99, Kayla Belikova-Everlark-Odair, Roza-Dimka-Reader, and XxkatylouXx for your reviews! **


	2. Chapter 2

For the second time that day, Adrian found himself picking at the collar of his white tee. The hem was frayed from its time under the hot sun, covering Adrian's back while he helped Rose fix something or another. He had escaped back outside after Dimitri had unleashed the news of the young Sydney Sage. She didn't look too much different, though it had only been a year. Maybe… He couldn't really remember the last time he had stayed in Vegas. That trip had scarred him for life. Adrian had made the mistake of letting someone get inside his head while he was shitfaced.

"Adrian? What are you doing out here?"

Turning, he saw his sister, Rosemarie Hathaway, leaning against the side of the fencing. Rose was his half sister on his father's side. That being said, Rose was the only one to inherit Abe Mazur's dark hair and brilliant personality. Adrian had been left with his mother's looks, which wasn't bad. It just left him without a physical tie to the man who raised him and he called 'Dad'.

"Escaping the cruel reality that is my life." She rolled her eyes and started towards him. Her hands rested around his shoulders, bringing his face down to hers.

"Adrian Ivashkov… You are not living a cruel life so long as I live. If you needed me to help battle some of those inner demons, you know I'd be there in a second." Her smile helped reassure Adrian. He just needed to hint to Rose about Sydney and everything was going to be perfect.

-o.o-

Sonya, Mark, and Oksana all departed shortly after Adrian snuck back in. They had said their goodbyes, Sonya and Oksana oozing out their excitement over Rose's belly, Mark just smiling brightly at Rose. It wasn't annoying to Adrian, so much as pointless. There wasn't even a bump to coo at, but there they were. Then again, Sonya liked to pretend her dead husband was going to fix the roof every time someone tried to stay at her Inn and Oksana would threaten to beat Jesse and Ralph whenever they dared to step foot inside of her diner.

He hid, though, inside his room. Adrian wanted to avoid Sydney's knowing gaze no matter what. Not that it mattered much to Sydney. She busted into his room, smiling when she caught the look of shock in his emerald eyes.

"My bad… did I interrupt?"

"Yes, I have emails and meetings and-"

"And a very angry mother to report to, right? Daniella is still keeping you chained up like her personal puppy?"

"Who else is going to run the company? Certainly not my useless brain-dead stepfather." He challenged back. This girl, who knew too much about him, was pushing her luck. Sydney Sage had gotten a sneak peek into the real world of Adrian Ivashkov and hadn't done a single thing about it. She just smiled and left, not letting single soul know about their night or what Adrian had spilled his drunken guts about. 

"True, Nathan has always been useless. I'm surprised you haven't distanced yourself. Or is this you distancing yourself?"

Adrian stood up and slammed his laptop shut, moving to exit the room as quickly as he could.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Ivashkov."

Adrian shut his eyes, as if it would shield him from the memory of _that_ night…

-o.o-

_Green eyes flashed across the room. They seemed to be looking for something… someone. An escape from the tiresome life he had led up to this moment? Music crackled through the speakers, pushing bodies into a rhythmic movement that was almost hypnotic. Almost… but alcohol flowed through every one of those bodies, eliciting harsh and forced motions. Adrian was not an exception. In fact, he had showed up drunk more than ready to feel something other than the warm buzz and dull ache that had created a home in his skull._

_The song melted into another, one with a slower beat and sensual words whispered. The green eyed man took a seat at the bar, the keeper already filling his glass with the strong stuff. Looking to his right, Adrian watched a dark haired beauty strut over to him. The familiar feeling of longing dissipated, though, when the mirage of his sister dissolved. This girl was a Jane Doe. Adrian turned back around, avoiding the creature's heated gaze, and something much better caught his eyes. He smiled at his prize, and urged her forward with a simple tilt of his head._

"_Well if it isn't Mr. Dashing Smiles and Flashy Looks. What can I do for you tonight, Mr. Ivashkov?" Skewering the girl with his eyes, Adrian noticed his prey was young, small, and very stunning._

"_I'm sorry beautiful, but I think you're mistaking me for someone else. My name is Jet Steele. But this Ivashkov kid sounds charming…" The girl laughed, her head tipping up and cheeks flushing crimson from the heat. When she returned Adrian's gaze, her smile grew._

"_Oh no, Mr. Ivashkov; I know Danielle's son when I seem him. And I'm sorry to be the bearer or bad news, but you're him." She then turned, her petite body twisting away from Adrian. He snatched her slender pale wrist up and pulled her into him, his lips barely brushing the tip of her ear._

"_Okay, so you caught me. Did you want to go somewhere… a bit more private?" He looked down to see the girl's same bright eyes gazing up at him. She nodded. They left the club and walked the strip down to Adrian's hotel._

_Outside of the club, away from the rough and harsh lighting, Adrian noticed that this girl had dark blonde hair and kind brown eyes, very different from Rose… _Shit. Rose._ Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose, momentarily stopping to light up a cigarette. Flicking the burnt ash away from himself, he caught the girl wrinkling her nose._

"_Don't like the smell?"_

"_I don't appreciate the activity, but to each his own, Mr. Ivashkov."_

_The rest of the walk was silent. The couple was greeted by an enthusiastic doorman, who tipped his hat to Adrian and wished Mr. Steele a great night. Everyone in the lobby watched the pair brush past the lounge and the groups of men, Adrian even caught one of the concierges' saddened expression. _Right… Samantha? Sabrina…? I promised her tonight…

_Finally, the girl with the warm brown eyes smiled politely as soft music began to fill the space between them. The girl kept quiet the entire time. Even those first few seconds after entering Adrian's room, she kept her silence as she surveyed the room._

"_You have interesting tastes, Mr. Ivashkov."_

"_And here I was worried that you had forgotten how to speak. So, beautiful, mind telling me how you know my mom?"_

_The girl evaded his question by plopping herself down on the bed. "Who is Jet Steele? Was he a friend? Was he your classmate?"_

"_It's a badass name. Speaking of which, I don't think I caught yours…?"_

"_You didn't."_

_And that's about all Adrian had clearly remembered. Sydney offered him a few more drinks, and had gotten him nice and cozy before asking a bunch of random questions. She kept pushing for more and more alcohol until, finally, Adrian had gotten so out of it, clothes were removed._

_He had woken up, his bare chest pressed against the girl's bare back. Adrian had to blink several times before the haze of sleep disappeared. Startled, he shot out of the bed, confused and hung-over, instantly regretting the sudden movement._

"_Shit!"_

_His hands flew to his temples, painstakingly taking the time to rub small circles there, praying the sharp thumps in his head would stop soon. 'Beautiful', as Adrian referred to her now, shifted and laughed at the sight of Adrian struggling to contain his pain._

"_Looks like you could use some of these Mr. Ivashkov." 'Beautiful' was already out of bed, pulling her nightgown back up from where it had slipped, and rifling through her bag. She produced a bottle of water, a bottle of ginger-ale, a small container of Tylenol, and a sleeve of saltine crackers. She set the down beside Adrian and then reached into her bag again, this time with a pair of sunglasses._

"_It's like you planned on getting me drunk…"_

"_Exactly; don't trust everyone you meet, Adrian." He looked up at her; it was the first time she had said his name. Adrian couldn't help but feel like he had seen her somewhere before. But the thought shattered at the sight of her eyes. At night they had seemed a very average brown, but now, under the rays of the sun, Adrian could very clearly see that they were like melted gold. _

"_Oh, and Adrian? Forget about Danielle; she can't control you the way she believes she can. Besides, there are others who have experienced that type of person. I've had trouble with my controlling father. That hasn't stopped me. Don't let it stop you." _

_She stood up, pulling on her dress from last night, a soft gold dress that clung to her delicate body._

"_I… wait! I told you about Danielle?"_

"_It's funny what alcohol does to a person. It's like it just shuts off the brain and sends the mouth into overdrive… but it was a great night. Thank you Mr. Ivashkov."_

"_Wait!" Adrian flung himself up, despite the sting in the back of his skull, "I… I!"_

"_It's okay." She opened the door, stepping through it before turning back to him, "And my name is Sydney Sage, not 'Beautiful'."_

**Author's Note:**

**I've officially done it. This is the second chapter. I really didn't know how I wanted to open it, so I have like ten different second chapters on my laptop. This is the one I like the best. So hopefully you'll all like it. And if not… oh well?**

**Thank you to all those who read this chapter! It makes me happy knowing that this interests somebody :) That being said, please leave me your thoughts and opinions. I'd like to see what you thought of this chapter or how you feel about the sequel idea in general. And don't forget to tell me your predictions.**

**-Lolita**

**PS: I'm sorry that Sydney has come off so out of character… I'm going to try to make her not so freaking snarky…! **


End file.
